Philadelphia Stone Siding

In a place like Philadelphia, stone siding is an excellent choice for the exterior of your home. It is designed to weather the elements well and look good at the same time; just like Philadelphia, stone siding is built to last. Whether you're planning on building a new home in Delaware County or are thinking of renovating an investment property downtown, it is a good idea to take a good look at this versatile, durable material.

What is Stone Siding?
Stone siding can be made of cast concrete, synthetic stone, or natural stone. No matter what it is composed of, stone siding is cast or cut to a specified thickness to form a material suitable for a veneer, but not meant to provide structural support. It is installed on the outside of a building (often over the existing cladding) to give the appearance and feel of solid block stone at a much more attractive price.

Benefits of Stone Siding in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is prone to windy autumns, frigid winters, soaking wet springs, and piping hot summers. Each one of these conditions can pose a problem for a home's exterior, and Philly's got them all. When you're putting your own money on the line, you need to be sure that your investment will be able to hold up. By choosing a tough cladding material such as stone siding, Philadelphia's annual pendulum of weather conditions will have less of an effect on the structure and appearance of your property.

Speaking of appearances, stone siding doesn't look too shabby either. The aesthetic and feel of stone gives a home a sense of history and authenticity, even if it's only 5 years old. Brick can certainly give that feeling as well, but since there's already so much brick in Philadelphia, stone siding could really set your home apart while maintaining the classic look of the neighborhood.

The ease and quickness of stone siding installation is yet another reason to give it a second glance. To lay solid brick or stone takes a whole lot of time (and a whole lot of labor hours). Installing siding takes much less time; the end result will have the same look, and in many cases, the siding will out-perform bricks or blocks of stone. It is quite easy to maintain and it solves many moisture problems that are associated with brick and solid stone because of the way it is installed.

Stone Siding Prices
Stone siding will vary in price depending on how it is formed and what it is formed from. Siding made of imitation stone will be less expensive, and siding made of cut natural stone will be pricier.

The installation of imitation stone siding will be similar in price to that of vinyl siding. Installation of natural stone siding will be more expensive (the national average puts the job at around $12,000). Natural stone gets even more expensive due to transport costs (the stuff is pretty heavy). This should certainly be discussed with the company who'll be doing your work; in many cases, the closer the supplier is, the better the end price will be.